


just another da:i fic

by KayyteeLynne



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:26:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27863018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayyteeLynne/pseuds/KayyteeLynne
Summary: This is something I wrote ages ago and never really posted. Since I'm kinda on AO3 hiatus, I figured what the hell, let's dig into some old fics and post them.Just another DA:I fic with everyone's best boy.Fic has a female elven mage inquisitor with the 'default' Dragon Age world. Includes main quest story and some inner circle quests. A few select side quests as well, but not a lot, because holy crap that'd be a lot of writing. Includes Trespasser DLC, but not the other two. So some spoilers. And 'after game' story that continues to follow my inquisitor, including some shorts/one-shots/random 'days in the life of'.I'll probably post a couple chapters a week as I think of it. Due to my hiatus, however, none of my actual WIPs will be updated. If I find any other older/completed fics, I'll likely throw them up here for shits and giggles. Enjoy :)
Relationships: Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford





	1. Chapter 1

The Fade. The dream-like world that only mages could access willingly. Consciously. But Calliope couldn’t remember falling asleep. She couldn’t explain how she had ended up there. She got to her feet and looked around. A figure bathed in a bright light caught her attention, standing atop a stone staircase. Calliope’s eyes squinted as she tried to make out the figure. Drawn to the light, Calliope ascended the steps. Behind her, she heard scuffling, and when she turned, several giant spiders had stepped out of the shadows and scurried toward her.

Calliope turned and ran up the rest of the steps, slipping as she neared the top. Rubble crumbled away from her feet, and the lighted figure jumped forward, stretching an arm out toward her. Calliope reached for the figure’s hand, grasping tightly as she was jerked forward suddenly. 

Calliope stumbled out of the Fade rift and collapsed on the ground. Her head spun as she tried to orient herself. Distant voices shouted to one another. She lifted her head, and her vision slowly came into focus as three soldiers hurried toward her, their swords drawn defensively. They closed in around her and her world darkened. 

*****

Her eyes opened, her body jerking awake suddenly, but no one had woken her. Her body ached, and when she tried to move, she found her hands were restrained. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. She shifted on the hard floor of a dungeon, then looked down at her hands manacled together. She turned her gaze to the four armed guards around her, swords drawn. They stared at her, watching her carefully. 

She wracked her brain, trying desperately to put the jumbled pieces together when a green light suddenly flared from her left hand. She shouted in surprise and shrunk against the wall of the dungeon. The light subsided slightly, and at that moment, the door to her cell opened. Two women stepped through. One was armored, a sword on her back. She had short, dark hair, a scar across her cheek, and her forehead was creased in a seemingly permanent scowl. The second woman had a hood drawn over her head, but pieces of short, red hair could be seen framing her face. Her features were softer, delicate, her expression less angry than her comrade’s. Curious.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now,” the first woman snarled at Calliope. “The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.”

Calliope met her gaze, her brows furrowed. She took a moment to digest the woman’s words. She vaguely recalled the Conclave. It was where she had exited the Fade rift. But she could remember little else before that.

“You think I did it?”

“Explain this!” The woman grabbed the manacles, jerking Calliope forward as her hand erupted into a strange, green glow once more. 

“I… can’t.”

“What do you mean, you can’t?”

"I don’t know what that is or how it got there,” Calliope snapped.

The woman pushed back forcefully on Calliope’s restraints. “You’re lying!” Her hand raised, but the second woman stepped in, grabbing her arm,

“We need her, Cassandra,” she said, her voice calm and smooth.

Her jaw clenched. “Whatever you think I did, I’m innocent,” Calliope said, an edge in her voice.

The second woman met her gaze. “Do you remember what happened? How this began?”

Calliope hesitated. She looked down at the ground as she tried to recall what had happened. “I remember running,” she started. “Things were chasing me. And there was… a woman? She reached out to me, but then…”

Cassandra turned to her comrade. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”

Leliana nodded and left them alone.

“I don’t understand,” Calliope said. She glanced at Cassandra. “What happened?”

Cassandra reached to her and pulled her to her feet. She removed the manacles, replacing them with rope around her wrists. 

“It will be easier to show you,” she said. She gestured to the guards, and Calliope followed her out of the cell. Outside, the air was bitter cold, but Calliope’s attention was focused on the hole in the sky. Its center was dark, and streaks of green similar to the light from her hand stretched away from it

“We call it the Breach,” Cassandra explained. “It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the conclave.”

“An explosion can do that?”

“This one did. Unless we act, the breach may grow until it swallows the world.”

As if on cue, the Breach shuttered and grew, and the mark on her hand flared up once more. Searing pain shot through her, and Calliope dropped to her knees, shouting out in pain.

Cassandra knelt to the ground beside her. “Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this but there isn’t much time.”

Calliope’s jaw clenched as the pain subsided. “So I don’t really have a choice about this,” she muttered.

“None of us has a choice,” Cassandra said. She pulled Calliope to her feet once more and proceeded forward through the town. Calliope fell in step behind her, noticing then the villagers that had gathered around them, watching them. They scowled and shouted at her.

It wasn’t necessarily a reaction she wasn’t accustomed to. Being elven often led to slurs being hurled in her direction. Being a mage only deepened their hatred towards her. And now it seemed they thought her a criminal. A murderer. She was only just realizing it now, but it was the end of the world, and she was the only one they had to blame.

“They have decided your guilt,” Cassandra said as they walked. “They need it. The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between mages and templars. She brought their leaders together. Now, they are dead.”

They reached the edge of the town. Soldiers stood at the gate, and they opened it at their approach.

“We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves, as she did. Until the breach is sealed.” Cassandra stopped at the gate and pulled out a dagger, cutting the ropes that bound Calliope’s wrists.

“There will be a trial,” she informed her. “I can promise no more. Come. It’s not far.”

Calliope rubbed her wrists, hesitant. “Where are you taking me?”

“Your mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach.”

Calliope followed Cassandra as she led them through the gates and over the bridge. Across the bridge was another gate guarded by two soldiers. Several other people milled about. Wounded soldiers rested against the stone railing or against crates on the ground.. A Chantry Brother spoke to a small group of people. There were several canvas wrapped corpses close together, and a figure prayed over them while another woman seemed to take tally of the lost lives. The scene was grim, to say the least, but Calliope tried to ignore the sights as she followed Cassandra, who was now shouting to the soldiers at the gate.

“Open the gate! We are headed into the valley!”

The soldiers obeyed and the gates opened. They followed the path to the left and up a hill. Several spiked barricades lined the road, and more bodies were scattered about. As they walked along, three panicked soldiers ran by them, headed toward the town.

When they reached the top of the hill, the mark on her hand flared, and once more, Calliope dropped to the ground as the sudden pain surged through her. Cassandra paused, and when the pain subsided, she helped Calliope to her feet.

“The pulses are coming faster now,” she said. “The larger the Breach grows, the more rifts appear, the more demons we face.”

“How did I survive the blast?” Calliope asked as they set forth again.

“They said you… stepped out of a rift, then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you’ll see soon enough.”

They passed several more corpses, some of which Calliope recognized as other mages, and one templar, before they reached the second bridge. They started to cross when a meteor dropped from the sky suddenly, striking the bridge in front of them. The bridge collapsed under their feet, and Calliope and Cassandra tumbled down onto the frozen river below. A second meteor shot across the sky from the Breach, hitting the frozen river a short distance away from them where a Shade formed in a pool of green light.

“Stay behind me!” Cassandra shouted as they both scrambled to their feet. Cassandra drew her blade and ran after the Shade just as a second took shape.

Calliope looked around quickly and spotted a discarded staff against the banking of the frozen river. She hurried to retrieve it as the second Shade lunged toward her. She scooped up the staff and mentally reached into the fade, into her supply of mana, summoning a fireball that shot forth from the edge of the staff and collided against the Shade. While the Shade was stunned, Calliope swung the end of the staff against the Shade, then kicked forcefully against it, causing it to stumble backwards as she prepared another attack. A second firey blast quickly ended the Shade’s life and it dropped to the ground.

Calliope looked up, her attention on Cassandra who had her arm outstretched, her sword pointing at her chest. Her forehead creased fiercely, and when she spoke, her voice was a deep growl.

“Drop your weapon. Now!”

“Do you really think I need a staff to be dangerous?” Calliope sneered at her.

“Is that supposed to reassure me?”

“I haven’t used my magic on you yet,” Calliope reminded her.

Cassandra’s shoulders dropped slightly and she let out a breath. “You’re right,” she said. “You don’t need a staff. But perhaps you should have one. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless.” She returned her sword and turned away from her. “I should remember you did not attempt to run.”

They continued onward once more, moving across the frozen river and to the other side.

“Where are all your soldiers?” Calliope asked

“At the forward camp, or fighting,” Cassandra said. “We are on our own, for now.”

They reached a set of stone steps which they ascended, coming upon several more demons consisting of Shades and Wraiths. Together, Calliope and Cassandra worked to clear them off the path and continued on, moving down hill and back onto the frozen riverbed where two more sets of demons attacked. When they cleared them out, they turned left to climb a second set of stairs cut into the side of the steep hill. In the distance, they could hear the distinct sounds of fighting.

“We’re getting close to the rift,” Cassandra said. “You can hear the fighting.”

“Who’s fighting?”

“You’ll see soon. We must help them.”

At the top of the steps, they turned right. The bridge before them was destroyed, and they jumped down off a stone wall, approaching the rift that was amidst the burning rubble. There were a few soldiers fighting demons, and among them, a dwarf and an elven mage. Calliope and Cassandra quickly joined them, defeating the demons that threatened them. 

“Quickly! Before more come through!” the elf shouted. He grabbed Calliope’s hand suddenly, pulling her forward. He held her hand toward the rift, and the mark on her hand flared up. The green light shot toward the rift forcefully, and after a moment, the rift exploded, then disappeared completely. The force of it caused Calliope to stumble backwards, and the elf released his hold on her wrist. She pulled her hand toward her in shock, then turned her gaze from the sky, to the elf beside her.

“What did you do?”

“I did nothing,” he said. “The credit is yours.”

“You mean the mark?” Calliope turned her gaze back to her hand.

“Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand,” he explained. “I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake – and it seems I was correct.”

“Meaning it could also close the Breach itself,” Cassandra said.

“Possibly,” the elf agreed. He turned back to Calliope. “It seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

“Good to know!” the dwarven man exclaimed cheerfully. He set his crossbow against his shoulder. “Here I thought we’d be ass-deep in demons forever.” He grinned at Calliope. “Varric Tethras. Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.” He winked at Cassandra, and she scowled at him.

“Nice crossbow,” Calliope commented. 

His smile grew. “Ah, isn’t she? Bianca and I have been through a lot together.”

“You named your crossbow Bianca?”

“Of course,” Varric said. “And she’ll be great company in the valley.”

“Absolutely not,” Cassandra said. “Your help is appreciated, Varric, but -”

“Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren’t in control anymore. You need me.”

Cassandra grunted in annoyance. She rolled her eyes and turned away from Varric.

“My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions,” the elven mage said, turning to her with a warm smile. “I’m pleased to see you still alive.”

“He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.’” Varric said.

Calliope turned to Solas. “You seem to know a lot about all of this.”

“Like you, Solas is an apostate,” Cassandra said.

“Technically, all mages are now apostates, Cassandra,” Solas reminded her. He turned back to Calliope. “My travels have allowed me to learn much of the Fade, far beyond the experience of any Circle mage. I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed regardless of origin.”

“If I can close the Breach, I will,” Calliope offered.

Solas nodded, then turned to Cassandra. “Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have ever seen. Your prisoner is a mage, but I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power.”

“Understood. We must get to the forward camp quickly.” Without another word, Cassandra set forward. Solas fell in step beside her.

“Well, Bianca’s excited,” Varric said with a grin as he walked past Calliope, joining them. 

The four of them set off, climbing down the rubble and continuing down a steep and narrow path. At the bottom of the path, they encountered several more demons on the frozen riverbed. Once defeated, they continued on to another set of stone steps, leading up to a cave.

“You are Dalish, but clearly away from the rest of your clan,” Solas noted conversationally. “Did they send you here?”

“What do you know of the Dalish?” Calliope asked carefully.

“I have wandered many roads in my time, and crossed paths with your people on more than one occasion.”

“Crossed paths?” Calliope echoed.

“I mean that I offered to share knowledge, only to be attacked for no greater reason than their superstition.”

“Can’t you elves just play nice for once?” Varric said.

At that moment, the mark on her hand flared, and Calliope let out a pained gasp.

“Shit, are you alright?” Varric asked.

The pain seemed to shoot up her arm, and she paused a moment, catching her breath, then pressed onward with the rest of them. She remained silent as they continued to climb the stone steps north of the frozen river.

“So…  _ are _ you innocent?” Varric asked.

“I don’t remember what happened,” Calliope said simply.

“That’ll get you every time. Should have spun a story.”

“That’s what  _ you _ would have done,” Cassandra said in a tone of disapproval. 

“It’s more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution.”

At the top of the steps, they took out several more demons before pressing forward.

“I hope Leliana made it through all this,” Cassandra commented.

“She’s resourceful, Seeker,” Varric assured her.

“We will see for ourselves at the forward camp,” Solas said. “We’re almost there.”

They continued along the path, moving further up the hill. Small fires continued to mark the places where battles had taken place. Corpses were strewn about amongst burning wagons. At the top of the hill, they turned south, ascending several more stone steps before they encountered another fade rift, just in front of another gate. Together, with two other soldiers, they battled the demons that spewed from the rifts, and when they had a moment to breathe, Solas shouted to Calliope.

“Hurry! Use the mark!”

Calliope glanced at her hand, then, doing as Solas had done earlier, she thrust her palm out towards the rift. A force pulled violently through her body, as if the rift itself were pulling her towards it, and the green light shot forth from her hand, making a connection between her and the rift. The force pulled violently through her until she started to feel sick, then the fade exploded and closed.

“Open the gate!” Cassandra shouted to the two guards.

“Whatever that thing on your hand is, it’s useful,” Varric remarked.

They moved through the gate and into the forward camp. They crossed the bridge, passing soldiers and several more corpses that had been gathered together. On the other side of the bridge, Calliope recognized Leliana standing with another man at a desk in front of a tent. As they neared, the two could be heard arguing. 

“We must prepare the soldiers!” Leliana said.

“We will do no such thing,” the man argued back fiercely. 

“The prisoner must get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. It is our only chance!”

“You have already caused enough trouble without resorting to this exercise in futility.”

“ _ I _ have caused trouble?”

“You, Cassandra, the Most Holy – haven’t you all done enough already?”

“You’re not in command here!”

“Enough! I will not have it!” The man turned to them as they approached. His gaze settled on Calliope and a snarl pulled at his lips.

“You made it,” Leliana said in relief. “Chancellor Roderick, this is-”

“I know who she is,” he snapped, not breaking his gaze. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution.”

“Order me?” Cassandra echoed. “You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!”

“And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly serves the Chantry!”

“We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know,” Leliana reminded him.

“Justinia is dead! We must elect her replacement, and obey  _ her _ orders on the matter.”

“So, no one’s actually in charge here,” Calliope muttered.

“You  _ killed _ everyone who was in charge!” Roderick shouted at her. “Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless.”

“We can stop this before it’s too late,” Cassandra said.

“How? You won’t survive long enough to reach the temple, even with all your soldiers.”

“We must get to the temple. It’s the quickest route.”

“But not the safest,” Leliana pointed out. “Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”

“We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It’s too risky,” Cassandra argued.

“Listen to me,” Roderick hissed. “Abandon this now, before more lives are lost.”

The Breach in the sky expanded suddenly, and the mark on Calliope’s hand flared once more. Their gazes turned to her, and Cassandra spoke.

“How do  _ you _ think we should proceed?”

“You’re asking me what I think?” Calliope said in surprise.

“You have the mark,” Solas said.

“And you are the one we must keep alive,” Cassandra added. “Since we cannot agree on our own…”

Calliope hesitated. The last thing she wanted was to be making decisions that had nothing to do with her. Decisions that could possibly mean life or death. But it was just a route toward the Breach, anyway. And fast sounded better. 

“The mountain path,” she said.

Cassandra turned to Leliana. “Leliana. Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone.”

Roderick turned to them, muttering. “On your head be the consequences, Seeker.”


	2. Chapter 2

Calliope, Cassandra, Varric, and Solas set forth once more, climbing up a snowy incline where they reached several ladders that they ascended.  
“The tunnel should be just ahead,” Cassandra said. “The path to the temple lies just beyond it.”  
“What manner of tunnel is this?” Solas asked as they stepped inside. “A mine?”  
“Part of an old mining complex,” Cassandra explained. “These mountains are full of such paths.”  
“And your missing soldiers are in there somewhere?” Varric asked.  
“Along with whatever has detained them,” Solas commented.   
Inside the tunnel, they battled several more demons before continuing up stone steps and turning right. The mine was dark as they pressed deeper still, turning left and up another set of steps. Eventually, the tunnel lightened as they neared the exit, and they stepped outside to find the corpses of three soldiers.  
Varric sighed. “Guess we found the soldiers.”  
“This cannot be all of them,” Cassandra said.   
“So, the others could be holed up ahead?” Varric asked.  
“Our priority must be the Breach,” Solas said. “Unless we seal it soon, no one is safe.”  
“I’m leaving that to our elven friend here,” Varric said.   
They continued forward, down a rock pathway covered in snow. At the end of the path, they found a rift with four soldiers fighting a handful of demons. They quickly joined in on the fight until the demons were defeated, and once more, Calliope stepped forward, her palm pointed towards the rift, and it closed.   
“You are becoming quite proficient at this,” Solas remarked.  
“Let’s hope it works on the big one,” Varric said.  
“Thank the Maker you finally arrived, Lady Cassandra,” a soldier said. “I don’t think we could have held out much longer.”  
“Thank our prisoner, Lieutenant,” Cassandra said. “She insisted we come this way.”  
“Then you have my sincere gratitude,” the soldier said to Calliope.  
“The way into the valley behind us is clear for the moment,” Cassandra informed him. “Go while you still can.”  
The soldiers did not hesitate, bowing their heads to her before quickly moving toward the tunnels. With the area clear of demons, the four of them continued on, moving west down the hill, then north down a steep pathway.   
“So… holes in the fade don’t just accidentally happen right?” Varric asked.  
“If enough magic is brought to bear, it is possible,” Solas said.  
“But there are easier ways to make things explode.”  
“That is true.”  
“We will consider how this happened once the immediate danger is past,” Cassandra said.  
They approached the ruins, and Solas muttered to himself.  
“The Temple of Sacred Ashes.”  
“What’s left of it,” Varric pointed out.   
“That is where you walked out the Fade and our soldiers found you,” Cassandra said to Calliope. “They said a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.”  
Burned corpses and scattered bones lay amongst the rubble of the ruined temple. High above them, the Breach threatened them.   
“The breach is a long way up,” Varric remarked.  
“You’re here!” Leliana said as she approached from behind them. “Thank the Maker.”  
Cassandra turned to her comrade. “Leliana, have your men take up positions around the temple.” When Leliana left, she turned to Calliope. “This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?”  
Calliope turned her gaze to the Breach in the sky. “I’m assuming you have a plan to get me up there.”  
“No,” Solas started. “This rift was the first and is the key. Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach.”  
“Then let’s find a way down,” Cassandra said. “And be careful.”  
They made their way carefully through the ruined temple, taking a path that slowly circled down to the rift. As they neared, voices echoed around them.  
“Now is the hour of our victory,” a deep, male voice spoke. “Bring forth the sacrifice.”  
“What are we hearing?” Cassandra asked.  
“At a guess, the person who created the Breach,” Solas said.  
As they continued on, they stepped carefully around the red lyrium that protruded from the ground and walls.   
“You know this stuff is red lyrium, Seeker,” Varric said.  
“I see it, Varric,” Cassandra said.  
“But what is it doing here?”  
“Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the temple,” Solas said. “Corrupted it…”  
“It’s evil,” Varric warned. “Whatever you do, don’t touch it.”  
The deep, male voice echoed from the fade once more. “Keep the sacrifice still.”  
A woman’s voice followed. “Someone! Help me!”  
“That is Divine Justinia’s voice!” Cassandra exclaimed. Her pace quickened, and they hurried to keep up, reaching the end of the path. The trotted down stone steps into the ruins, jumping down into the pit where the rift waited. When they neared, the mark on Calliope’s hand flared, and another fierce voice echoed from the Fade.  
“What’s going on here?”  
Cassandra turned to Calliope. “That’s your voice. Most Holy called out to you. But…”  
A bright flash came from the rift, and when it faded, ghostly images appeared around them. An appreciation of Divine Justina took shape before them, floating in the air. Slowly, the scene continued to form, and they could see she was being held in place by red energy wrapped around her arms. A large, dark figure with red eyes loomed over her. Calliope burst through the door suddenly, her voice echoing.  
“Run while you can!” Divine Justina shouted to her. “Warn them!”  
The dark figure spoke. “We have an intrude. Slay the elf!”  
Another bright flash of light shot out of the fade, and the ghostly images disappeared in a snap.   
“You were there!” Cassandra said, spinning on her heels to face Calliope. “Who attacked? And the Divine, is she… Was this vision true? What are we seeing?”  
Calliope’s mind raced. She couldn’t remember anything from the scene that played out before them. And Cassandra’s rapid fired questions only made her more frustrated.   
“I don’t know!” she shouted. “I don’t remember!”  
“Echoes of what happened here,” Solas said. “The Fade bleeds into this place. The rift is not sealed, but it is closed, albeit temporarily.” He turned to Calliope. “I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”  
“That means demons,” Cassandra said. She turned to the soldiers around them. “Stand ready!” The soldiers and archers readied their weapons, and Cassandra nodded to Calliope.  
Calliope sucked in a breath, then stepped forward. She stretched her arm out towards the fit, and just as before, it pulled her to it. The green light shot out of her palm, towards the rift, but this time, the rift opened, and a demon immediately stepped out.  
“Now!”  
Archers let loose their bow strings, and arrows rained down around the demon. With Cassandra at their side, the soldiers lunged forward, their swords drawn as they battled the demon. Varric, too, sprung into action, immediately firing bolts from his crossbow, and Solas hurled icy blasts toward the demon. Calliope, too, picked up the staff she carried with her and reached down into her mana, pulling forth a fiery blast that exploded against the demon. It roared and shrieked, then threw itself at its attackers, wracking deadly claws against the soldiers and scattering groups of them in one swoop of its arm.   
“Disrupt the rift!” Cassandra shouted to Calliope. “Quickly!”  
Calliope raised her hand toward the rift, but this time, it did not close. A forceful blast shot forth, seemingly stunning the demon. It faltered and froze for a moment, and the soldiers lunged at it once more.  
“More coming through the rift!” Cassandra warned.  
They continued to battle the smaller demons that swarmed the temple. They were quickly defeated, and shortly after, the pride demon fell, too.  
“Now!” Cassandra shouted. “Seal the rift!”  
Calliope raised her hand again, and after a moment, the rift exploded, causing the ground to tremble, and the rift closed. Calliope’s head spun and darkness crept in at the edges of her vision. She could hear soldiers shouting, and among them, Cassandra’s voice. Solas responded, and Varric called to her, but she dropped to the ground and her world darkened.


	3. Chapter 3

Her eyes opened. She winced in the light of the sun that streamed through a nearby window. She sat up slowly, groaning softly, and rubbed her eyes. A sudden crash caused her to jump, and her gaze turned to a young elven woman standing in the center of the room. A box lay at her feet, and she dropped to her hands and knees to recover its contents.  
“I-I didn’t know you were awake, I swear!” she said frantically.  
Calliope blinked at her. “Where am I?”  
The woman bowed low, still on the floor. “I beg your forgiveness and your blessing,” she said quickly. “I am but a humble servant.” She straightened and met Calliope’s gaze. “You’re back in Haven, my lady. They say you saved us. The Breach stopped growing, just like the mark on your hand. It’s all anyone has talked about for the last three days.”  
“Three days?” Calliope echoed under her breath. Her brow furrowed. “So, the danger is over, then?”  
“The Breach is still in the sky, but that’s what they say,” the woman responded. She picked up the box and returned to her feet. “I’m sure Lady Cassandra will want to know you’ve wakened. She said at once!”  
“Where is she?” Calliope asked.  
“In the Chantry with the Lord Chancellor,” she said quickly. “At once, she said!” She turned on her heels and quickly left Calliope alone in the room.   
Calliope stared blankly at the door, her mind still groggy as she attempted to process what had just happened. Had she really been out for three days? What had happened after the rift was closed? And why could she still not remember what had happened in the Fade?  
She pinched the bridge of her nose, her head starting to throb. She sucked in a breath, then swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got to her feet. She dressed quickly, then moved to the door on the other side of the room and stepped out of the cabin into the cool, winter air.   
To her surprise, several soldiers lined the path from the cabin into the heart of the village. They held their arms up and across their chest in salute. Around them, a crowd of villagers had gathered, each eager to see the woman that had saved their lives.  
Calliope hesitated uncomfortably. She wasn’t used to so many eyes being on her. She averted her gaze, keeping her eyes on the ground as she quickly moved away from the cabin and towards the Chantry. The soldiers remained in their salute, but around them, people had begun to whisper to one another.  
“That’s her! That’s the Herald of Andraste.”  
“They said when she came out of the Fade, Andraste herself was watching over her.”  
“Why did Lady Cassandra have her in chains? I thought Seekers knew everything.”  
“It’s complicated. We were all frightened after the explosion at the Conclave  
“Maker be with you.”  
“Blessings upon you, Herald of Andraste.”  
Calliope’s pace quickened, turning left and trotting up the steps. Her eyes moved over the crowd as their whispers continued, each one of them straining to catch a glimpse of their Herald.  
“She stopped the Breach from getting bigger.”  
“I thought she was supposed to close it entirely.”  
“Still, it’s no more than anyone else has done. Demons would have had us otherwise.”  
“Still a lot of rifts left all over. Little cracks in the sky.”  
“She can seal those. The Herald of Andraste.”  
“Walk safely, Herald of Andraste.”  
She finally reached the Chantry, but to her disdain, several Chantry brothers and sisters stood outside.   
“Chancellor Roderick says that the Chantry wants nothing to do with us.”  
“That’s not Chancellor Roderick’s decision, Sister.”  
“Most of the Grand Clerics died at the Conclave. Who will lead us now?”  
“Andraste didn’t have Grand Clerics telling her what to do, and she managed nonetheless.”  
“You expect us to be like Andraste?”  
“Someone must.”  
“Go in peace, Herald of Andraste.”  
“Maker watch over you.”  
Two soldiers opened the doors, and Calliope quickly stepped inside, eager to be away from the staring eyes and whispers. The doors closed behind her, the sound echoing through the empty hall. She stood alone in the dimly lit hall for a moment, waiting for her racing pulse to slow, then proceeded down the hall, following the sound of muffled voices. She stopped in front of a closed door at the far end of the grand hall and paused to listen.  
“Have you gone completely mad?” Roderick said. “She should be taken to Val Royeaux immediately, to be tried by whomever becomes Divine.”  
“I do not believe she is guilty,” Cassandra said.  
“The elf failed, Seeker. The Breach is still in the sky. For all you know, she intended it this way.”  
“I do not believe that.”  
“That is not for you to decide. Your duty is to serve the Chantry.”  
“My duty is to serve the principles on which the Chantry was founded, Chancellor. As is yours.”  
Calliope pushed open the door and stepped into the room. Two soldiers stood guard at the door while Roderick, Cassandra, and Leliana stood around a table. They turned their gazes to her when she entered, and Roderick immediately shouted to the guards.  
“Chain her. I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial.”  
“Disregard that and leave us,” Cassandra hissed.  
The guards saluted Cassandra, then left, the door closing behind them.  
“You walk a dangerous line, Seeker,” Roderick sneered to her.  
“The Breach is stable,” Cassandra said. “But it is still a threat. I will not ignore it.”  
“Looks like I’m still a suspect,” Calliope said in annoyance.  
“You absolutely are,” Roderick spat.  
“No, she is not,” Cassandra said sternly.  
“Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave,” Leliana started. “Someone Most Holy did not expect. Perhaps they died with the others - or have allies who yet live.”  
“I am a suspect?” Roderick fumed.  
“You, and many others.”  
“But not the prisoner!”  
“I heard the voices in the temple,” Cassandra said. “The Divine called to her for help.”  
“So her survival, that thing on her hand - all a coincidence?”  
“Providence,” Cassandra said. “The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.  
Calliope laughed, drawing their eyes to her. “You realize I’m an elf,” she said. “A Dalish elf.”  
“I have not forgotten,” Cassandra said. “No matter what you are, or what you believe, you are exactly what we needed when we needed it.”  
“The Breach remains and your mark is our only hope of closing it,” Leliana agreed.  
“This is not for you to decide,” Roderick hissed.  
Cassandra slammed a heavy book down on the table. “You know what this is, Chancellor? A writ from the Divine, granting us authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn.” Cassandra stepped around the table, closing in on Roderick, forcing him to step back until he was pressed against the wall. As she spoke, she poked at his chest with a finger.  
“We will close the Breach,” she continued. “We will find those responsible, and we will restore order with or without your approval.”  
Roderick’s lips pulled into a snarl, but he did not argue further. He stepped around Cassandra, promptly leaving them alone in the room.   
“This is the Divine’s directive,” Leliana said. “Rebuild the Inquisition of old. Find those who will stand against the chaos. We aren’t ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now no Chantry support.”  
“But we have no choice,” Cassandra said. “We must act now.” She turned to Calliope. “With you at our side.”  
“What is 'the Inquisition of old,’ exactly?” Calliope asked.  
“It preceded the Chantry,” Leliana explained. “People who banded together to restore order in a world gone mad.”  
Cassandra continued. “After, they laid down their banner and formed the Templar Order. But the Templars have lost their way. We need those who can do what must be done united under a single banner once more.”  
“But aren’t you still part of the Chantry?” Calliope asked.  
Cassandra snorted. “Is that what you see?”  
“The Chantry will take time to find a new Divine,” Leliana said. “And then it will wait for her direction.”  
“But we cannot wait. So many grand clerics died at the conclave… No, we are on our own. Perhaps forever.”  
“You’re trying to start a holy war,” Calliope said.  
“We are already at war,” Cassandra reminded her. “You are already involved. Its mark is upon you. As to whether a war is holy… that depends on what we discover.”  
“And what if I refuse?” Calliope asked.   
“You can go, if you wish,” Leliana said.  
“You should know that while some believe you chosen, many still think you guilty,” Cassandra said. “The Inquisition can only protect you if you are with us.”  
Calliope pressed her lips together. Cassandra had a point, of course. And she still had little memory as to what exactly had happened in the Fade. It seemed if she wanted any answers, she would have to join them. Nevermind the fact that it seemed she was the only one who could close the Breach and save the world.  
“We can also help you,” Leliana added.   
“It will not be easy if you stay, but you cannot pretend this has not changed you.”  
Calliope sighed. “If you are truly trying to restore order…”  
“That is the plan,” Leliana said.  
“Help us fix this before it's too late.”  
Calliope nodded. “Alright,” she agreed. “I will help.”  
Cassandra nodded once. “Good. Then we will have a lot of work to do. As of today, the Inquisition is officially reinstated.”


End file.
